visually exploring community in urban spaces

August 26, 2016

August 25th, 2016

“I started wearing the suit and tie in 2013, before that I was invisible. People would walk past and be like, ‘A beggar, don’t look!'” Josh Henderson, who goes by Lakey, sits absorbed in his sketchbook of vibrant abstractions in the midst of downtown Boulder, aside a sign which reads “Grandma says I need a job wearing a suit and tie…This is my compromise.” Lakey has been travelling across the United States as a street artist since he started drawing in 2009, logging an estimated 20,000 miles.

2 thoughts on “”

I really like this photograph – I think it’s very demonstrative of Lakey’s optimistic attitude and overall positive personality. Composition wise, the lighting is very flattering and directs all focus to the subject. The story that I get from this photo is very uplifting and hopeful, much like the overall tone in the caption. Love this!

You did a nice job on this assignment, Liz. The composition works for me, even with him looking out of the frame. I like being able to see his crossed legs and the sneakers he paired with his suit. His expression is great and draws you into the scene. And the well-reported caption really adds a lot to the photo. As others pointed out in class, it’s difficult to read his sign. Just the detail of the sign being there, however, adds some context to the photo. That gets to one criticism I have of the photo, which is that there is so much in it. I think you get away with it in this case, but, in general, particularly in “small screen” photos, it’s best to think in terms of what can you leave out rather than what can I add. All the lights in the background are somewhat distracting, and there’s a lot to draw the viewer’s eye away from your subject’s face. One thing that would help this photo feel a bit less cluttered by the lights and signs in the background would be better toning. I know it’s difficult with dark subjects like this photographed on a cellphone camera, but I find his face is a tad dark and the color isn’t as balanced as it could be. Sometimes you can correct these enough just with the toning and editing tools in your cellphone camera’s options. Check D2L for your grade.